First make sure that the battery is charged up all of the way and that a positive 12V current is reaching the positive terminal of the starter motor. You can test it with an inexpensive 12V test light available from any auto parts store for about $10. You need that for diagnosing any electrical problems if you have checked the fuses and they are all good. Its also possible that the fusable link got shorted out and that will stop the car from turning over. The fusable links are 3 wires sticking up from a small box on the drivers side shock mount in the engine compartment. Check that they are not burned. If all of that is good, then use your test light to see if 12V current is reaching the ignition switch under the plastic cover behind the steering wheel and on the opposite side of the key.

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Usually, the alternator recharges the battery while you drive. If the battery is dead when you try to start it, it very possibly is an alternator problem. Also, affects the electrical power, ie lights, etc.

You or someone will have to figure out why your new alternator is doing absolutely nothing. Not only is it not putting out enough power to run all the car's electrical systems, it is also not charging the battery, so you could start it next time off the battery and not have to get it jumped. With it not working, the car has to use battery power to run everything, and when you use lights, or radio, or any accessory, the battery runs down even quicker.One reason alternators don't work is loose or poor connections between the battery and alternator. You could remove your battery cables (check them, if they look old or worn badly, replace) from the battery (negative first) and clean the cable ends and the battery posts till the metal is shiny clean. Do the same for the negative cable to frame ground point. Then check the big cable end on the starter, make sure it is tight. Put the cables back on-positive first, negative last, then move to the alternator and check the connections there for a clean tight connection. A couple of other ground points you could check is the engine to frame ground-somewhere on the engine is a ground strap bolted to engine metal and the other end will ground on the car frame or on the firewall in back of engine. If this ground is lost, strange electrical problems may result. One more ground: often the engine and computer wiring harness will have a ground wire coming out of the harness-a short wire-and may be grounded around the top of engine-many cars do have this visible ground, so check for it and check if a good ground.If you do all this, and still no help, cheeck all your fuses in the under hood fuse block-sometimes there is an alternator fuse there, a big maxi-fuse. Check if good, check all fuses. If no help, you likely need a mechanic or shop to figure it out. Good luck. Hope you find it.

The battery in most cars is used only for starting and operating electrics when the engine is not running.

After that, the alternator provides power to operate ignition and electric systems - and of course; recharge the battery. A faulty battery shouldn't cause the car to stop running. If the alternator is not functioning properly, the car will get power from the battery instead. When this happens, the voltage will drop quickly - depending on how many electrical accessories are on, etc. You will notice headlights becoming dim at night just before the engine quits. The car would not be able to start / run until the battery is recharged.

Hi susy, my name is Sam, lets see if we can FixYa and get your vehicle problems corrected.Have you had any problems starting your Festiva lately? Do you have any service or engine lights on? From your description it sounds like the car is running mainly off the alternator for voltage. When the engine slows down so does the alternator causing the voltage to drop and stall the engine. I think the first thing you need to do is have your battery "load tested" to determine the health. Also, have the charging system checked to insure it's working properly. This can be done without removal, fast & simple test for both. O'reilly's or Autozone will probably do it, free of charge. The battery terminals should be clean, free of corrision and tight. Often a bad ground will cause problems. Check these areas first to determine if it is the problem. If they all check out good, we can move to other possible causes. I hope this helps....

What initiated the need for jump starting? Is the alternator charging? Has the battery been checked?

To check the alternator, once the engine has been jumped and is running, remove one of the battery post connections. If the engine dies, the alternator is not charging the battery, and the symptoms you describe are the on-board computer going through low voltage spasms until sufficient electrical power to operate the engine / tranny is drained and the car dies.

If the car continues to run with no battery attached, the alternator is charging - - - and I would recommend removing the battery and having it checked and (if good) recharged to full capacity. I would also recommend having it charged even if the alternator is the problem just to delay the onset of the low voltage problems. The car should operate normally for a few miles before the battery drains too low after a full recharge, enabling you to get it to a shop for alternator service / replacement.

If you attempt replacing the alternator yourself, make sure the battery is disconnected prior to starting the job. Saves blowing up good stuff by accidental short.